Lateral file

ABSTRACT

A lateral filing system comprising a file box fashioned from a folding blank with holding means projecting beyond the back part of said box and fixed rails to hold the file boxes. The holding means are formed by a tongue cut free from said blank that is folded in a double-layer manner. Said tongue fits behind an upper web of a Z-shaped rail while the lower part of the box rests on a lower web of a parallelly arranged similar rail. A supporting flap extending from a sidewall of the filing box is designed to press the inserted documents against one sidewall. The invention assures simple fabrication from a single material blank without any additional parts and provides for high stability and an easy box assembly shortly before use.

United States Patent Heimann 5] Mar. 7, 1972 [54] LATERAL FILE [72] Inventor: Egon l-leimann, Walkenberg 61, 5600 Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany [22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1969 211 Appl. No.: 870,533

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 12, 1969 Germany ..P 19 06 854.3

[52] 11.8. C1. ..211/88 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47f 5/08 [58] FieldofSearch ..211/88, 126, 94, 94.5, 132, 211/162; 312/183, 260, 261, 349,132

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,161,606 11/1915 Browne ..211/88 1,446,036 2/ 1923 Dodd 1/88 X Furrer ..211/126 3,047,158 7/1962 Scholl ..211/126 3,325,050 6/1967 Wanamaker.... .2] H126 X 3,415,585 12/1968 Morris ..312/261 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr.

57 ABSTRACT A lateral filing system comprising a file box fashioned from a folding blank with holding means projecting beyond the back part of said box and fixed rails to hold the file boxes. The holding means are formed by a tongue cut free from said blank that is folded in a double-layer manner. Said tongue fits behind an upper web of a Z-shaped rail while the lower part of the box rests on a lower web of a parallelly arranged similar rail.

A supporting flap extending from a sidewall of the filing box is designed to press the inserted documents against one sidewall. The invention assures simple fabrication from a single material blank without any additional parts and provides for high stability and an easy box assembly shortly before use.

6 Claims, 13 Drawing Figum PATENTEDMAR 7 m2 SHEET 1 [IF 7 Fig.3 hi 5 PATENTEDMAR 7 I972 SHEET 2 [1F 7 Fig.4

PATENTEDMAR 7:912 3.647. 076

sum 3 [1F 7 I PATENTEDMAR 11912 3, 647. 076

sum 5 or 7 PATENTEUMAR 7 m2 SHEET 8 OF 7 LATERAL FILE The present invention relates to a lateral file made with use of a folding blank of suitable material, e.g., cardboard, and consisting of file boxes, in particular for documents contained in folders, with said file boxes being held by fixed rails.

It is already known in itself to equip such file boxes, on the one hand, with holding means projecting beyond the back part of the same and, on the other hand, to provide them with a spring-loaded yielding supporting wall on the inside of the box which presses the inserted documents against one sidewall.

Here the separately made holding means, e.g., a strap, tongue or similar means, projecting on the back part, is attached by rivets. Moreover, the supporting wall, too, has been fonned before by bending and kinking the upper edge section of a sidewall.

In order to attain the necessary elastic force, the angular triangle which has been made in the described manner, is subjected to a tension by means of a rubber band so that through stronger or less stronger kinking of the supporting wall a tensional force is-brought about which in turn causes the elasticity of said supporting wall. Such types involve considerable manufacturing costs, the desired holding power of the supporting wall is not independent and rather limited and, moreover, a subsequent makeup of the finished form or shape of the boxes from prefabricated blanks cannot be carried out readily, so that storage and transportation or shipment of the finished boxes are impeded on account of their hollow space volume.

The object of the present invention is the fabrication or fashioning of a typical lateral file box from a single material blank without any parts which have to be attached additionally. The invention provides for high stability, ample elastic supporting power of the supporting wall in all states of filling and, besides an easier box assembly which has to be carried out only when required, it renders possible favorable and different fashioning.

In accordance with the invention, the holding means fitting behind the lower or downward pointing web of a Z-shaped rail forms a folded double-layer tongue together with the back part whose lower edge contacts the horizontal web of another Z-shaped rail which is arranged in parallel, and the supporting wall is formed by a flap, with a fold or flute, extending from the one longitudinal edge of the sidewall and on the inner open angle the supporting wall features a bulge or bead.

In accordance with the idea of the invention an intermediate layer, extending from the one transverse edge of the sidewall, is arranged between the two layers of the back part which form the holding means.

Further and in accordance with the invention the supporting flap carries a bent and section which is linked with the supporting flap via a fold featuring a bulge or bead along its inner angle.

Further and in accordance with the invention a tongue or strap is cut out from the forward part of the supporting flap for the purpose of connecting the two sidewalls.

In accordance with the invention the supporting flap may, particularly within the range of its fold, feature an inserting slot for a holding tongue extending from the free edge of a lid on the opposite sidewall.

Finally and in accordance with the invention the folded edge of the supporting flap may be bridged by elastic bands, at least in sections, which extend over the side opposite to the inner angle.

The advantages of the design in accordance with the present invention are as follows: the lateral file boxes of the suggested design are capable of carrying considerable weight and show outstanding stability when fashioned from the said folding blank.

After assembly the said file boxes may be secured on fixed rails in cantilever fashion whereby the double and reinforced back part of the box, that is, the projecting tongue of the back part fits behind the lower or downward pointing web of a Z- shaped rail, whereas the lower edge of the box is seated on the horizontal web of a Z-shaped rail arranged in parallel. As such file boxes can be removed from or fitted into the said holding rail or be moved along the rails, a particularly reliable supporting wall is provided for the purpose of advantageous holding of the documents contained in the box, but the said supporting wall is solely formed from the blank without use of any addi tional parts. This is achieved in a very simple manner in that the supporting wall is formed of a so-called self-elastic flap which hangs on a sidewall of the box. This provides also a simple and readily foldable blank which is stored in flat state and is folded only when required and which is preferably provided with self-sealing or self-sticking surfaces so that it can be glued together firmly without use of any other means. This is possible also when an intermediate layer is provided between the two layers of the back part which form the holding means.

The intrinsic elasticity of the supporting flap is advantageously attained to give considerable power when the bending line is provided with a pressed in flute which will then form a bulge on the inner angle of the said flap so that the said bulge will bring about a spreading effect. This spreading effect may be favorably furthered by means of elastic adhesive bands or tapes, bridging the fold edge with a tensioning effect, and which are affixed already prior to assembly of the box. The respective opposite box wall serves as a countersupporting wall and it is preferably and advantageously tied by the tongue which has been cut out from the supporting flap and which keeps the spacing of thebox sidewalls after it has been secured in position.

A lid which is swingable and is held in position by an inserting tongue allows ready access to the filed material and efficiently protects said material against dust, dampness, etc.

The utilization of available space-is particularly great on account of thisdesign because the back part of the box is in close contact with the wall to which the holding means are attached and, therefore, the box will remain in a horizontal position without lowering itself diagonally.

This general makeup provides considerable easier use and an arrangement which is favorable with regard to both use and available space.

The invention is illustrated on the drawing in several designs and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a file box in accordance with the invention showing two open sides and the lateral arrangement on fixed Z-shaped rails;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section, and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross section;

FIG. 4 is the spread blank of the box walls of cardboard material;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the lateral arrangement of the file boxes;

FIG. 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged cross sections of the pressed in bead edges along the folds of the cardboard wall;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of another design of the box whereby the filed documents are accessible only from the front of the box;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of an appertaining blank;

FIG. 11 is still another design of the file box, according to FIG. 1,,but provided with a swingable lid;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view thereof;

FIG. 13 is a spread out blank thereof.

When fashioning the lateral file in accordance with FIG. 1, the file box incorporates the two sidewalls l, 2, the back wall 3 and the bottom 4. The sidewalls l, 2 are kept in a spaced arrangement by means of a tongue 5 which bridges the inner space of the box.

A supporting flap 6 provided with a bent end section 7 extends from the upper edge of the wall 1 and into the inner space of the box.

The back part 3 consists of two layers, as is indicated in FIG. 2. The parts3' and 3" which are glued on top of one another form the holding means of the box in that their length in upward direction of back part 3 projects beyond the upper edge of the box. The tongue 8 is formed through this; the latter fitswhen superposing the file boxes (FIG. 5)-behind a Z- shaped rail 9 which, for instance, may be attached to a vertical wall, whereas the lower rear edge of the bottom 4 of the box rests on the horizontal web of rail 9 which is arranged in parallel with and proper spacing from rail 9. As may be seen, the box can be removed readily from its secured position on the said rail by tilting, that is, by lifting the forward end of the box. After said removal the box may be placed on a tabletop or a similar surface in order to remove or to restore its contents; this is possible because of the smooth or plain outer surfaces of the box.

The supporting flap 6 appliesconsiderable pressure on the documents contained in the box; it is preferable to keep said documents in folders. The elasticity of the supporting flap 6 is attained in that a flute 10.(see FIG. 4 and 6) is pressed in the wall in order to facilitate bending of the folds. The said flute is so formed that a bulge 11 is formed on the bending side, that is along the point of the open angle which is formed through said bending.

The said bulge produces a spreading effect in direction of arrow a and the said spreading effect will be all the more powerful, the smaller the open inner angle between supporting flap 6 and sidewall 1 becomes. A corresponding bulge 11 is preferably provided between the supporting flap 6 and the bent end section 7 so that said section forms a flat pressing strip which applies pressure on the documents in direction of arrow a and keeps them from slipping.

A folding blank of appropriate material, e.g., cardboard, which is particularly suitable for fashioning the file box is illustrated in FIG. 4. The said folding blank consists of a sheet of appropriate thickness which is provided with folds l2 and cuts 13. These mark the shape and size of the sidewalls l, 2, the back walls 3', 3" and the bottom 4. Also the supporting flap 6 hanging on the upper edge of sidewall l is cut out.

A tongue 14 which is marked by the fold 15 is cut out for the purpose of forming the tongue 8 on back part 3. Fold 15 is positioned somewhat above the upper edge of the box so that the tongue 8 will project from the finished box. A counterpiece 14 to tongue 14 is formed as an extension of bottom 4. The two tongues 14 and 14' are folded inwards so that they form a further reinforcement of the back part of the file box, as is indicated in FIG. 2.

The superposed sections 3 and 14 are provided with an adhesive coating 16 which serves to glue the back parts together. The adhesive coating is covered with a protective paper 17 which is pulled off before fashioning the box so that the exposed adhesive coating will then adhere to the opposite part (see FIG. 7).

In certain cases, the folds l and 10' may be provided with bridging elastic tapes 27 whose tension increases the spreading effect of the walls 11 and 11' when they are stretched.

For the purpose of absorbing the reaction force of the pressure application of supporting flap 6, the strip has been separated from the flap by a cut 13'. The strip end, which can be bent, is preferably provided with an adhesive coating 16' so that it can be glued on the opposite sidewall 2.

FIG. 9 shows a modified design of the file box which is largely identical with and similarly made up as the box referred to in the foregoing, with the only difference that the inner space of said modified box is accessible only from the front side in order to provide for a better protection of the filed documents. The folding blank of such a box is so made that the supporting flap 6' extends from the transverse edge of sidewall l and fold is provided along said edge.

During folding the section 4' forms a covering wall opposite to bottom 4. The adhesive section 16" overlaps in form of an angle the upper edge of sidewall 2. With this type, the tongue 8 also projects beyond the upper wall 4'. As the box has no projections on the outside it can, for instance, be placed on the sidewall 2, on bottom 4 or on the back 3 whichever will allow optimum handling.

Through a further modification it is possible to produce also the type which is illustrated in FIG. I1 and which provides accessibility from both top and front together with the greater protection of a closed box in which the documents are filed. In this case the box construction, as described originally, and fashioned in accordance with FIG. I, is provided with a swingable lid 20 which extends from sidewall 2 and is provided with an inserting tongue 21 by which it is retained in an inserting slot 22 arranged in supporting flap 6 in the range of its folding edge 10.

In the folding blank belonging to this type of box, the sections required for fashioning the box are so arranged that a double bottom of the box is produced. The two sidewalls 1 and 2 are linked by a back part 3; the bottom parts 4 and 4' are cut along the longitudinal edges of the side parts.

The supporting flap is cut along the upper edge of side part 1; the back part 3 extends to form the tongue 14 and an appertaining counterpiece l4 and the lid 20 hangs on side part 2 (see FIG. 12 and 13).

All sections are marked by pressed in flutes 10 or 12 and are cut along the separating lines by cuts 13. The section 20 which forms the lid is provided with a separating perforation 23 which allows to tear off the edge strips projecting beyond the tongue'length in a very simple manner. The supporting flap 5 may be connected with section 20 also through a separating perforation, instead of having a separating cut 13, so that strip 5 may remain on section 20 or that it can be linked with wall I after it is torn ofl.

Also this type of folding blank is provided with adhesive coatings on the appropriate surfaces so that simple fashioning of the box from sheet material can be carried out.

I claim:

1. A lateral filing device comprising a file box fashioned from a folding blank with holding means projecting beyond the upper edge of the back part of said box, said holding means, fitting behind the downward pointing web of a Z-shaped rail, is formed y a tongue out free from said folding blank, said tongue is folded in a double layer with said back part, whose lower part rests on the horizontal web of a parallelly arranged Z-shaped rail and an intermediate layer extending from one transverse edge of sidewall of said box and being arranged between the double layer of said tongue forming the holding means.

2. A lateral filing device comprising a file box fashioned from a folding blank with holding means projecting beyond the upper edge of the back part of said box, said holding means, fitting behind the downward pointing web of a Z-shaped rail, is formed y a tongue cut free from said folding blank, said tongue is folded in a double layer with said back part, whose lower part rests on the horizontal web of a parallelly arranged Z-shaped rail,

an intermediate layer extending from one transverse edge of sidewall of said box and being arranged between the double layer of said tongue forming the holding means, and

a supporting wall being formed by a flap which extends from the longitudinal edge of a sidewall of said box.

3. A lateral filing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap comprises a bent end section which is provided with a flute along the line of the bend, with said flute forming a bulge on its inner angle.

4. A lateral filing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap comprises a strip which has been cut out of the forward part of said supporting flap that connects the two sidewalls of said box.

5. A lateral filing supporting as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap comprises a flute that is bridged by elastic means.

6. A lateral filing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap and, in particular its flute, comprises an inserting slot for a holding tongue which extends from the free edge of a lid which is linked with the opposite sidewall of said box. 

1. A lateral filing device comprising a file box fashioned from a folding blank with holding means projecting beyond the upper edge of the back part of said box, said holding means, fitting behind the downward pointing web of a Z-shaped rail, is formed by a tongue cut free from said folding blank, said tongue is folded in a double layer with said back part, whose lower part rests on the horizontal web of a parallelly arranged Z-shaped rail and an intermediate layer extending from one transverse edge of sidewall of said box and being arranged between the double layer of said tongue forming the holding means.
 2. A lateral filing device comprising a file box fashioned from a folding blank with holding means projecting beyond the upper edge of the back part of said box, said holding means, fitting behind the downward pointing web of a Z-shaped rail, is formed by a tongue cut free from said folding blank, said tongue is folded in a double layer with said back part, whose lower part rests on the horizontal web of a parallelly arranged Z-shaped rail, an intermediate layer extending from one transverse edge of sidewall of said box and being arranged between the double layer of said tongue forming the holding means, and a supporting wall being formed by a flap which extends from the longitudinal edge of a sidewall of said box.
 3. A lateral filing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap comprises a bent end section which is provided with a flute along the line of the bend, with said flute forming a bulge on its inner angle.
 4. A lateral filing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap comprises a strip which has been cut out of the forward part of said supporting flap that connects the two sidewalls of said box.
 5. A lateral filing supporting as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap comprises a flute that is bridged by elastic means.
 6. A lateral filing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means forming a supporting flap and, in particular its flute, comprises an inserting slot for a holding tongue which extends from the free edge of a lid which is linked with the opposite sidewall of said box. 